


Almost Home

by Tali (aworldinside)



Category: Gosford Park (2001)
Genre: F/M, Yuletide 2006
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-25
Updated: 2006-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-11 19:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/115988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aworldinside/pseuds/Tali
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd never had a home, but with her standing beside him, he thought it just might be possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sirikit](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=sirikit).



Raymond Stockbridge had been insistent that there would still be shooting parties, even if he had to go to the length and inconvenience of hosting them himself.

And so that was how Mary found herself unloading Lady Trentham from her car in front of another large house and catching sight of something that made her jump, so much so that it earned her a small glare from Her Ladyship, whose arm she was holding.

'Mary!'

'Sorry, your ladyship.'

'I should think so. You wouldn't want me to trip and break my neck, would you?'

'Of course not.'

The world had moved on from Sir William McCordle's death, though some people had moved on faster than others. Lady Trentham for example, had never mentioned it to Mary again except to express her annoyance at the inconvenience the whole weekend had caused her. Though she did appreciate the good gossip that one could pick up at a large funeral.

Mary, herself, still found that she thought back to that weekend quite often.

Lady Trentham continued into the house, giving Mary strict instructions about which dress she would wear that evening, although she'd already told her this at least twice in the car, and once at the house.

Mary bent over to pick up a carry case that Her Ladyship always liked her to bring into the house herself, not trusting it to the groomsmen.

'Can I help you with that?'

She looked up and saw the object of her surprise, and jumped again.

'Fancy meeting you here.'

It had occurred to her of course, that he would be here. This was Lord Stockbridge's house. But Robert Parks standing right in front of her, was something quite different.

He cracked a smile. That same smile. More like a smirk really, but with some warmth behind it, if only for one person. 'You can't have forgotten me already?'

Mary doubted that was possible.

'Hello.' Her voice came out sounding small and unsure. Hesitant, even. She wished it hadn't.

' ... Robert. I think we were on first-name basis the last time we spoke.'

Mary felt herself smile. 'Yes, we were.'

'You're well, I trust?' he said. And then added quietly, leaning in just slightly towards her, 'Old woman not working you too hard?'

'Not really.'

'I'm glad to hear it. Now, did you want a hand with that, or not? It's quite a way to Her Ladyship's room.'

'It's not that heavy, really and she wouldn't like me to just hand it over...'

'Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you.' His smile was warm, and Mary couldn't help but feel her smile growing as she walked up the steps into the house.

\--

That evening, Robert walked down to His Lordship's room, ready to prepare him for the evening.

He'd thought about running and leaving service entirely. He certainly wouldn't miss it. But then he'd never entered it with murder in mind. He'd wanted to see how his father lived, but the chance of actually getting into his house? That was an opportunity that had presented its self and he didn't regret what he did. And to this day no one suspected him of having anything to do with it. Why would he have a motive? He was just a servant, wasn't he? Had no history. No life outside the house.

And where would he go? Lord Stockbridge was arrogant, certainly, but he paid a relatively good wage and treated his servants fairly, if not especially kindly. He could do a lot worse, and he'd certainly seen a lot worse.

He wasn't satisfied though. He wanted to see the world he'd only been told about and read about books. Somewhere to call home.

His smile widened a little as he walked up to the bedroom door and the housemaid walking past him looked surprised.

'Evening, Milly.'

She kept walking down the corridor, but Robert still could only smile.

Home.

He almost saw it in her eyes.

\--

Dinner passed without much comment. There was no Ivor Novello this time, just Lord Stockbridge's niece on the violin, which was nice, but even Mary's untrained ear could pick up some notes that weren't as they appeared on the music sheet in front of her.

As Lady Trentham was getting ready for bed, she heard, at some length, how fond Her Ladyship was of the violin, but how she wished people would pay more attention to studying it.

Mary left the room with only a small sigh and headed towards the back of the house where she was sharing a room with Lady Lavinia's new maid.

As she turned the corner, an arm reached out for her and whisked her into a small adjoining room. She just held back a scream as she realised who it was.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.'

Robert was standing a little way into the room, which seemed to be an unused parlour of some sort.

'No one ever comes in here,' he said as she saw her looking around. The shadows of the room made his face seem sunken.

It still played on the back of Mary's mind. Despite all his smiles, and how nice he had been to her, Robert had meant to murder his father, and despite all that Sir William had done, she still questioned if he really deserved it? Seeing Robert's face all hollowed out, it gave her a little chill.

He was standing in front of her now and had seen the emotions playing over her face. 'Does it bother you, knowing what I did?'

Mary wasn't naive about shades of grey. She understood that not everything was just so and that things were complicated. She just hadn't experienced that kind of hate, and struggled to understand it.

'A little, but I haven't said anything, and I'm not going to.'

He smiled, and she couldn't help but smile back. He had that affect on her.

He leant closer.

Her breath caught and their lips touched. Softly at first, but then it grew increasingly more intense until Mary grew a little disorientated and they pulled slowly apart.

She'd thought about the last kiss they'd shared many times. It always came back to her at odd moments. Watching the children playing in the street, carrying her ladyship's tea tray, when she was in bed at night...

There was a sound from out in the hallway.

'I should be back in my room,' Mary said, but her feet didn't move an inch.

'You probably should. Mr. Russell will patrol the corridors ... on his way to Miss. Beach's room.'

Mary laughed. 'Really?' Mr. Russell was the butler, who made the butler at Her Ladyship's house seem docile in comparison, and Miss. Beach was the long-suffering head housemaid with a rather volatile temper.

'Really.'

Robert kissed her one more time. Softly but lingeringly.

She slowly slipped out the door and headed back to her room. Where she imagined her sleep would be not quite as sound as she had thought.

\--

The next morning before breakfast, Robert slipped out the back door and pulled a cigarette out from this top pocket. The cook always glared at him when he tried to smoke anywhere near the kitchen, and to be honest, he liked the fresh-air away from everybody else.

He looked up at the facade of the house. It was a house. Never really a home. Lord Raymond and Lady Louisa hardly added to that perception, and that's when they were talking to one another. The servants were a little different. There was camaraderie there, but even though he'd lived here a while now, he never really felt like it really included him. He even liked some of the other servants personally, but there was never anything deeper.

He heard a scuttling behind him and one of the hunting dogs walked towards his now outstretched hand.

'Where did you come from, hmm? Alan isn't going to be too happy when he finds out you've escaped.'

The dog just nuzzled his hand in response, keen to see if there were any treats enclosed therein.

The door opened behind him and the dog sunk back into the shadows.

'Ooh, it's cold out.'

He turned around to face the light. 'I thought you were from Scotland.'

'I am,' Mary said proudly, 'I must have gotten used to this weather.'

'Well, come here then.'

He held out his arm to her and she took it, still a little hesitantly. He put it around her shoulders, and she only tensed up a little. Finally relaxing after a second.

They stood there for a few minutes. Her head eventually coming to lean against his shoulder.

He'd never had a home, and he'd never really thought about himself in one. Hoped for it maybe, but never let himself believe that it could actually happen, but with her standing beside him, he thought it might be possible. Maybe.

'I'm leaving.'

'Lord Stockbridge's service? Why? Has he treated you badly?'

'No.'

'Does he suspect something?' She added it quietly, almost like she didn't want him to hear it.

'No.'

'Then, why?'

'Because there's more to see than this, Mary. There's more than life to this and I want to see it.'

She didn't say anything.

'You could come with me.'

Robert saw her eyes widen.

'Robert ... I ... I.' She was stumbling over her words.

'You could. You can't tell me that you enjoy working for that old trout.'

Mary's face blanched, just slightly. Loyal to a fault. He loved that about her.

She stepped away from him a little while, looking out into the distance for a minute before turning around with a sad smile on her face.

'How would we survive? And I couldn't just leave my mother ... my brothers and sisters... '

She had a family. She had a home somewhere in the wilds of Scotland. A place where someone smiled when she walked in the door. He could only imagine what that was like and what it would be like to leave it.

He just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Almost. Almost home.

'I'm sorry.'

'So am I. You would have enjoyed it.'

He took her by the arms again and kissed her hard. A goodbye kiss. A last kiss.

'Goodbye then, Mary Maceacharn. I hope life treats you well.' He brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face.

'You're going tonight? But what about your references? And what about the shooting tomorrow?' She looked so worried, and Robert almost laughed.

Robert smiled. 'Oh, I think they'll live.'

\--

As he walked out of the house, for the last time an hour later, Robert wondered if he hadn't stayed these few months just to see her one last time.


End file.
